For the syrup

Oval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…

100g golden caster sugar

Method

Heat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Prepare the inside and outside of a 23cm tin, as before. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time. Add a tbsp of the plain flour if it starts to split. Fold in the flours and a pinch of salt, followed by the lemon zest and juice.

Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 35 mins or until well-risen and golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the syrup by heating the sugar, lemon zest and juice in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool until it’s just warm, then use a skewer to poke holes down to the bottom all over the cake. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition. Leave to cool completely, then either wrap or fill and ice the cake. The unfilled cake will keep well if you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

I'm going to be trying out these recipes before I use them for wedding cakes i'm going to be making. Are the recipes for 3inch deep cake tins because I've read on a previous comment that they are deep cakes. Can someone reply and let me know as I don't want to have to replace my tins to 4inch deep ones as all of my are 3inch deep.

Please help me I want to make this tier not as lemon but as vanilla, (see easy vanilla cake) I am new to baking and afraid to mess it up, can anyone help by telling me how much of each ingredient i need for the vanilla tier, to serve 30 people. Thank you!!

Made this for the first time yesterday in a Rayburn at heat setting 3 (roughly equivalent to Gas 3) in a 6" square tin. Used the cold shelf to avoid the top burning and didn't need to use foil to protect the top even though it took 2 hours to cook, came out well risen and springy. Had the same problem with the syrup thickening too much to soak in by the time the cake was cooked and cooled halfway, but agree that it doesn't need it as it's beautifully moist. Used a mix of shredless orange curd and Cointreau to brush the cut surfaces, top and sides. Filled with the buttercream and covered with Zesty Orange Marzipan from this site to get a St Clements flavour. Not going to be able to comment on how well it lasts as everybody in the office loves it and are fighting over the crumbs :)

For all those asking about SIZING this receipe can i suggest either GOOGLING how to convert receipes or using http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/conversion/ ? Otherwise just remember a round tin is worth 1" more than a square tin (8" square = 9" round). I usually use a formular based on square cakes so if i want to convert a 8" square receipe into a 12" then i use 144/64 x receipe quantity. In this receipe that would mean using 13-14 eggs and 9 lemons.

Hi everyone I am making this cake for the first time well technically the second time :0), I just wanted to share my 'horror' story incase anyone has made the same mistake and had a 'moment' like me, as I saw the comment from woodenspoon saying about the cake being raw, thought perhaps you had possibly done what I did yesterday. I wrote down the recepie and got to baking and after about 2 hours of baking the cake was still not cooked so I decided to give up on it, I then logged online this morning to check the recepie and realised that I has only written down plain flour and not the self raising flour. I thought it looked a little heavy when putting it into the tin but I haven't really baked a large cake before just cupcakes, so thought I would just go with it. I can happily say my new cake is currently in the oven and looks to be rising nicely. Thank you for this recepie.

I have made the chocolate and lemon cake several times and they have always been delicious. One time I added the lemon syrup when the cakes were cold and the syrup just rested on the top. These recipes have been great to adapt for gluten free cakes by using a mix of gluten free flour ground almonds and coconut flour to replace the wheat flour. To adapt any recipe from round to square is in the region of minus 1 inch ie. 9 inch round is 8 inch square.

This is one truely amazing recipe! made this in a square pan (was dying to use the new one my hubby brought me :D) and i cant fault it at all, a recipe that wont dissapoint i wish there where more like this! will try the choco and fruit one next time, this cake is going to be a frequent vistor in my kitchen!!

hello i have tried this recipe using orange instead of lemon and all the family loved it. I would like to know what quantities i need to use for a 12 inch square cake tin for a wedding cake???? would much appreciate some help on this

Made the chocolate cake and the lemon cake two tiers of my daughters wedding cake made in July. Absolutely gorgeous, and both cakes eaten at the wedding reception! was a bit apprehensive about freezing them but they kept well, as soon as they cooled wrapped well in cling film and put in freezer, defrosted well too, did not have to change the recipe at all, although cooking time did vary a little only by about 20 mins for the lemon, they were both moist and the lemon was just right, I bought some homemade lemon curd from the market and put that with the butter icing in the middle just to highlight the lemon in the cake and worked a treat. The chocholate cake was to die for and with chocholate fudge filling, heavenly! recieved good comments on both cake and my daughter and myself were very pleased with the outcome, will definately make them again just to enjoy them and would recommended to anyone who wanted a special occasion or just a really nice cake.

Hi anyoneI'm making this in an 10"(25cm) square and 8"(20cm) square, as the quantities are for a round 23cm what quantities would I need for these pleeeease. On a tight schedule-I have to get them made this week as I'm away then return 2 days before the wedding, so I need to get them made and frozen asap.Thanks

This is by far my favourite lemon cake recipe. I don't use the drizzle as I find the cake to be gorgeously moist without it. A fab frosting to use is a cream cheese frosting with some fresh Passion Fruit, it really is to die for!

Please can we have some answers to cooking times for different sized cakes. In fact any answers at all. Useful questions but useless without answers and I can see I'm not the only one frustrated by this. Is there any point in asking? I wonder if I will get an answer?

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